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2013 Sonoma Historics Celebrates Corvette

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Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival Celebrates  Corvette's 60 Years at Sonoma Raceway Fast cars, fine food and wine highlight May 18-19 weekend Paul Reinhart is honored guest, popular racing seminar scheduled for second year  SONOMA, Calif. (April 27, 2021) - The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival returns to Sonoma Raceway on May 18-19 for the fourth straight year unde...

25-Jul-2012

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Weekend wrap-up

Fabulous weather, Fine Cars, Wine and Food Highlight 2012 Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival SONOMA, Calif. (June 3, 2021) - Under sunny and warm conditions at the third annual Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival at the Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., more than 340 historic cars took the checkered flag in 15 ...

4-Jun-2012

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2013 Sonoma Historics Fact Sheet

Celebration of Historic Racing, Wine Country Lifestyle at Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival   WHAT:                         Sonoma Raceway will come alive with memorable racecars from Corvette, Ferrari, Lotus, Austin Healey and Bugatti, among others, at the 27th annual Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival. In all, more than 400 historic racecars will grace the twisting road course during ...

3-Jun-2012

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Legendary California Drivers

LEGENDARY CALIFORNIA DRIVERS FEATURED IN SEMINAR AT 2012 SONOMA HISTORIC MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL SONOMA, Calif. (May 27, 2021) - Five legendary California race-car drivers will be part of a seminar discussing the birth of the popularity of sports-car racing in California and the United States during the third annual Sonoma ...

1-Jun-2012

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2012 Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival
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Third Annual Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival to Feature Moments in Time:
a Celebration of the History of Motorsports
Fine wine, food, and fabulous cars highlight program

SONOMA, Calif. (April 19, 2021) - The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival, the third annual event under that title, returns to Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., June 2-3, 2012, featuring “Moments in Time: a Celebration of the History of Motorsports.” The program for the 26th annual historic-car event organized by General Racing Ltd. in Sonoma will focus on highlights of the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s - the eras in which auto racing began to cement its international status as a world-class spectator sport. In addition, 400 historic race cars will compete and parade around the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course, including a number of significant cars, ranging from a 1911 National Indy 500 racer to a 1991 Roush IMSA GTO Mustang.The “Moments in Time” timeline will then continue in 2013, as the fourth annual Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival will feature “America’s Sports Car,” the Chevrolet Corvette, as the premier marque. “Our plan for the third annual Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival is to celebrate the important ‘Moments in Time’ from the sport and the cars that defined each era,” said Steve Earle, president of General Racing, Ltd., who has organized premier historic car events for four decades. “Our focus as always will be to bring the history of the sport to the attention of automotive enthusiasts, new and old, with the display of a number of important cars and the presence of personalities from specific events during those periods. This year these will include the winning driver of the 1952 Golden Gate Park Races, and the winning car from the 24 Hours of LeMans that same year. “The theme will also focus on the emergence of ‘GT’ cars rather than ‘Prototypes’ as contenders for the 1962 FIA World Manufacturers Championship, the introduction of ‘Group C’ sports cars and the dominating Porsche 956 in 1982.
 
“It’s a little known fact that the City of San Francisco and its world famous park was a gracious host in the early Fifties to a number of SCCA racing events, and we’d like to take people back to those ‘amazing days’ when a major U.S. city and a fledgling sports-car club joined together to entertain the public with exciting racing action.”The cars that are considered significant of each are would include:1952 – Allard J2-Cadillac (Golden Gate winner). Mercedes-Benz W194 (24 Hours of  LeMans winner)1962 – Ferrari GTO (introduced that year), the birth of the Cobra, and the introduction of the Corvette Stingray1972 – Racing prototypes (Ferrari 312, Matra, e.g.) in the World Sports Car Championships1982 – Group C: the Porsche 956 introducedFifteen unique race groups will compete on Saturday and Sunday, while the weekend will also feature the popular Wine Country Pavilion with samplings of fine foods and wines from the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. The paddock will be open to spectators, allowing everyone an opportunity to get an up-close-and-personal look at the race cars and enjoy the various car corrals dotted throughout the raceway.The weekend’s festivities will also include the Historic Race Car Festival in the Sonoma Plaza Saturday evening benefiting Speedway Children’s Charities.

Additional information may be found at www.sonomahistoric.com. Companies interested in supporting special events during the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival should contact General Racing Ltd. at 805-686-9292.Ticket information may be found at http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/1129796 href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/1129796">http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/1129796 or by phone at 800-870-RACE (7223).About General Racing, Ltd.:
General Racing Ltd. (founded by Steven Earle) was formed in 1970 to encourage the restoration, preservation and the use of historic sports and racing cars and envisioned an event that would unite former racing greats with enthusiastic amateurs who owned some of the rare motorcars that once graced road courses worldwide. Earle’s vision forever changed the vintage racing landscape.In 1974, with the support of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance organizers, he launched the inaugural one-day Monterey (Calif.) Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca Raceway. It was a huge success and attracted a field of 66 cars. It also sparked the interest and vision for what would become the world’s premier historic auto race. In 1975 it became a two-day affair and the climb to recognition around the world began.The success of the Monterey Historics spawned additional General Racing events, including the Portland (Ore.) Historic Automobile Races, the Coronado (Calif.) Speed Festival, special events at the Long Beach Grand Prix and the Kansas City Historic Grand Prix, as well as the Wine Country Classic, the forerunner to the current Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival. In addition, General Racing assisted the organizational team from 2001-2008 at the Lime Rock Park (Conn.) Vintage Festival, held over Labor Day weekend.

 
Rain and Sunshine
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SECOND ANNUAL SONOMA HISTORIC MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL A SUCCESS


SONOMA, Calif. (June 5, 2021) - Despite rain showers that disrupted racing action on Saturday, Sunday's races at the Second Annual Historic Motorsports Festival at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., featuring the McLaren marque, were successfully completed under primarily dry conditions.

Only the early race groups of the 13 held on Sunday faced wet conditions, while the remainder enjoyed a cool yet dry surface on the 2.52-mile circuit in the heart of Northern California's wine country.

More than 1000 people per day visited the Wine Country Pavilion in the paddock area, enjoying local fare and wines, after passing through the dynamic McLaren Automotive display featuring significant McLaren race cars that were raced internationally through the years and the new 2012 McLaren MP4-12C high-performance sports car.

"It's unfortunate that we had to endure rain showers on Friday and Saturday," said event organizer Steve Earle, "but race day turned out to be a great day of racing and it appears that each of the 400 entrants enjoyed the competition. And I know the fans were treated to some exciting racing action, not to mention the opportunity to see so many important race cars, including all the McLarens that were here.

"It was a privilege to meet Bruce McLaren's daughter Amanda and to have her share in the festivities as the Honorary Starter for the Formula 1 and Can-Am cars in which the McLaren marque was so strongly represented. The Infineon Raceway staff was at its best, as usual, and we’re expecting sunny skies at next year’s event.”

Race winners today:

Group 1A - 1955-1962 GT - Jeff Abramson, 1959 Morgan +4
Group 2A - 1949-1955 Sports Racing & GT - Rob Manson, 1952 Schaghticoke Manning
Group 3A - 1960-1965 Sports Racing - Byron Sanborn, 1965 Elva MK8
Group 4A - 1963-1966 GT over 2500cc - John Morton, 1964 Sunbeam Tiger
Group 5A - 1955-1964 Formula Jr, F2, F1/GP - Art Hebert, 1963 Lola MK5A F-Jr.
Group 6A - 1966-1974 Historic Formula One - Danny Baker, 1977 McLaren M23
Group 7A - 1966-1972 Historic Trans-Am - Ken Epsman, 1970 Dodge Challenger
Group 1B - 1911-1926, 1927-1949 Sport and Racing - Peter Greenfield, 1935 Alfa Romeo Tipo-C
Group 2B - 1955-1960 Sports Racing - Donald Orosco - 1958 Lotus 15
Group 3B - 1962-1967 GT under 2500cc - Paul Quackenbush, 1963 Lotus S-7
Group 4B - 1966-1980 FIA Makes, IMSA GT - Bert Skidmore, 1976 Lola T-286
Group 5B - 1966-1974 Historic Can-Am - Chris MacAllister, 1971 McLaren M8F
Group 6B - 1981-1991 IMSA GTO, Trans-Am - Peter Baljet, 1990 Beretta

2011 Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival Awards
The Sonoma Historic Cup - "The Phil Hill Trophy"
Presented for Best Presentation and Performance Overall
Winner: Peter Greenfield, Freeport, NY, 1935 Alfa Romeo Tipo C

The Sonoma Historic Trophy , Pre-1940 Category
Presented for Excellence in Presentation
Winner: Jon Shirley, Medina, Wash., 1934 Alfa Romeo P3

The Sonoma Historic Trophy, Post 1940 Category
Presented for Excellence in Presentation
Winner: Chris MacAllister, Indianapolis, Ind., 1967 Lotus 49 R2

The Sonoma Historic Award
Presented for Presentation and Performance in Race Group
Winner Race 1A: Brian Howlett, Hacienda Heights, Calif., 1961 Morgan +4
Winner Race 2A: Graham Smith, Melbourne, Australia  1950 Allard J2-Cadillac
Winner Race 3A: David Jacobs, Boulder, Colo.,1964 McLaren -Elva M1A
Winner Race 4A: Tom Fry, Morgan Hill, Calif., 1966 Shelby GT-350
Winner Race 5A: Jeffrey O'Neill, Kentfield, Calif., 1957 Maserati 250F
Winner Race 6A: Scott Drnek, Hayward, Calif., 1970 McLaren M14A
Winner Race 7A: Forrest Straight, Mountain View, Calif., 1970 Boss 302 Moustang
Winner Race 1B: Jim Stranberg, Berthound, Colo., 1949 Talbot Lago T26C
Winner Race 2B: Thor Johnson, Kirkland, Wash., 1959 Lotus 17
Winner Race 3B: James LaMantia, Loomis, Calif., 1963 MGB
Winner Race 4B: Stephen Harris, Incline Village, Nev., 1979 Porsche 935J
Winner Race 5B: Roger Williams, Auckland, New Zealand, 1970 McLaren M8E/F
Winner Race 6B: Peter Baljet, Duncan, BC, 1990 Beretta

 


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